Vincit Qui Patitur
by Majestic NightFury
Summary: Danny Fenton has faced many challenges over the past two years, but he's also grown stronger as both a human and a hero. Despite all of this, however, nothing could prepare him for the evil about to be unleashed on both his world and the Infinite Realms, and as darkness rises to extinguish all, heros will have to stand for what is right. DxS VxT and OCxOC. Post D-Stabalized. No PP.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is owned by Butch Hartman. I only own the characters within the Founder's Circle and a few other ocs that will be introduced later on.**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Unknown Location;** **November 8 5:00 P.M. (3 Days After D-Stabilized)**

If you were to search for a list of all the funded organizations that the American government had set up over the last decade you would see a few familiar names: FBI, NSA, EPA, CDC, and the FCC to name a few. None of these, however, were as classified as the Guys in White, or GIW for short. The organization had been created to contain anything that might pose a threat to humanity or destroy it if such a feat proved too costly. It had also been created years before the first appearance of a ghost known only as Danny Phantom and the many other specters that haunted the city of Amity Park. Now, the five members that had been in charge of the organization since the very beginning, often referred to as the Founder's Circle, were gathered in one of the many private rooms within their primary base of operations, and that was not a good sign for those considered to be their enemies. They were the best in their respective fields, and they were not pleased.

The room itself was rather extravagant in terms of appearance. Velvet carpet was seperated from the wall by marble tiling and a row of computer monitors lined one wall. The wall opposite of the computers was taken by multiple windows, showing a picturesque forest. A distant mountain range could also be seen. A set of oaken doors was the only way in or out, and at its center, a circular table stood with five chairs surrounding it. In short, it was a war room that rivaled all others.

"I suppose all of you have heard about DC's willingness to cut our funding by a fourth, am I correct?" The man that spoke looked to be in his mid forties and had a figure that one would expect of a battle hardened soldier. Toned muscles could be seen through a gray, skin-tight shirt that looked to be brand new as crystal blue eyes peered at the other members of the Circle, gauging their reactions. Spiked blonde hair was covered by a military style hat and a scar could be seen that crossed directly over his left eye. The man also wore a green jacket and grey pants. He was behind the management of all the operatives the Guys In White had at their disposal and their training. To many, he was known simply as Drei, a name that signified his rank within the Circle. The founding members were the only ones to know his true name.

A younger woman, one that looked to be in her late twenties, with a slim figure wearing a golden knee-length dress with a black trim simply smiled. Long black hair framed her beautiful face as emerald green eyes stared at the man. While she may not have as much experience combating the paranormal, she had seen first hand what the creatures they caught could do when she was younger. Being a more than successful businesswoman, she decided that it would be a good investment to partially fund the GIW. Of course, she did so in a way that the money couldn't be traced back to her. "Yes, Leaf. That is exactly why we are here. Don't worry, though. Even if the budget cuts are inevitable, I can always funnel a bit more into this organization."

Leaf narrowed his eyes at the woman, but showed little emotion. "That won't exactly matter if we get scrubbed, Noire. All that money of yours will go to waste." The man then moved to take a sip of the finely aged scotch that had been provided for him, hoping to ease some of his own tension. In all honesty, the budget cuts would only be the first step, and he knew it.

"Yes, well it would help if the press would turn their attention away from those two idiots in the Amity branch. They're practically worthless. No offense, Leaf." She probably would've said something about him being the only one drinking alcohol during an important meeting, but she figured it would be best to leave it alone for now. If anything, the fact that he wasn't already carrying some on him was rather surprising.

This seemed to catch the attention of the man at the relative head of the table, along with the other three members. He wore a pure white business suite and nothing else. He was the leader of the Guys In White and knew what Noire was talking about, as he had to deal with the press on more than one occasion when it came to both Agents O and K, along with the grunts that had rallied behind them on several occasions. How those two weren't fired by someone in-between their position and his own was beyond him, but considering what to do with them would be for a later date. They had more important matters to deal with, though a change in subject would probably be for the best. "Yes, the amount of ghosts that seem to torment that town does seem a bit troubling, but I have seen a few interesting reports on one in particular."

Leaf nodded and brought out a few papers, all coming from the same file. "These are all that we have, though whether or not that is due to the ineptitude of our agents in the area is up for debate. Either way, the apparition known as Danny Phantom is quite an odd case. While most of the beings we've encountered seem to desire nothing more than chaos, he goes out of his way to stop them from accomplishing whatever their goal might be." The man then began to pass the papers out to the other members. "While he does seem passive to humans, aside from our own agents for obvious reasons, he's more likely than not claimed the entire city as his haunt and is trying to keep other ghosts out."

"Yes, it is interesting to say the least. All of my research has shown that he may very well be a guardian spirit, something akin to an angel or beings like them. Think about it, he didn't show up until after the first reports of ghosts began to come in, and it would certainly explain his strength." The man that spoke this time wore a buttoned-up lab coat hiding a blue shirt with what looked like a random atom based off the Bohr model and brown pants. Short brown hair was brushed to the side and he held a glint in his eye as he spoke. The man himself was in charge of the entire R&D department of the Guys in White, be it for weapons or general information about a potential threat. No knowledge could escape him, be it science or myth."I would love the chance to observe him. At the very least, it might help us determine what unfinished business he has within the town."

"Sorry Neutron, but I don't think Blanc would allow that, at least not without protection." Noire said, laughing a bit. She always enjoyed calling the scientist by his given nickname. If anything, it helped break the dynamic of using colors to address each other during these private sessions.

"You're right, Noire. I wouldn't." The leader of the group said, narrowing his eyes in thought. It would be nice to learn about a potential threat, but that was too much of a risk for his liking. "Copper's contributions to this organization and vast amount of knowledge make him a valuable asset; one that we can't afford to lose."

Leaf then shrugged as he leaned forwards, resting his elbows in the table and the now emptied glass on a coaster. It wasn't long before he refilled it, though via a flask attatched to his hip. "Even if we were to let Phantom roam free, we should at least have a back up in case he snaps or something."

This thought left the room silent as each founding member tried to think of a solution to such a thing, while also staying within the confines of their new budget. They didn't even known if Phantom was showing his full power during any of his fights, and those were accounting for only the ones that they had on file. Everything else was just from whatever the local news showed. Eventually, the silence was broken by Copper, or Neutron as Noire called him. "If I may make a suggestion, how difficult would it be to simply ask him to join the GIW? I know he doesn't have the best track record with us, but that was only with two agents. Maybe having someone different approach him would have the desired result. If it works, then he'll be under constant surveillance and he won't do anything differently than what he already does. That, and the knowledge we could gain from him would be invaluable. If that doesn't work, I could see if there is a way to give our agents ghostly abilities."

That caught everyone off guard. Having what appeared to be a well known hero, at least on a local level, could bring new life to the GIW. Then again, it could also cause problems if he did go rouge. Before anyone could voice their arguments, Blanc had decided to speak first. "It is possible, but I feel like it should be put up to a vote. The last thing we need is division among ranks, especially with our lack of public trust."

Neutron nodded and was rather curious to see how this would go. "Well, I think all of you know where I stand on this." He said, leaning back in his chair. He couldn't help but smile a bit in glee at the thought of working along side such a being. While observing the guardian of Amity Park in his natural habitat would have been preferred, the scientist would take what he could get.

Unfortunately, there would be those who did not see such a thing, and Leaf was the first to take offense to such a proposition."As much as the 'keep your friends close and enemies closer' mentality applies here, I'm just going to say no. We were built to capture beings like him and having him here would go against everything this organization stands for." The man had to control his anger, lest he crush the glass of alcohol in his hand as he took another drink to fight back a forming headache.

"Hmmm, he is cute, for a ghost. For all we know, he could just be a regular human with powers. Now that would be something else." The generous benefactor of the GIW then gave a light laugh, but quickly cleared her throat as she continued. "Either way, he might as well see what we have to offer." In all honesty, her decision probably would've been different if Phantom didn't look so much like a human.

"Well, we seem to have a two to one split so far." Blanc said.

"And now, it is a tie, sir." A voice that had gone unheard until now spoke with a tone that was rather gentle on the ears. "I agree with Leaf to some extent. Letting him have free reign within any GIW facility might upset some of the already contained beings, along with our own agents." The voice itself belonged to a woman wearing what looked like a red buttoned shirt with a matching knee length skirt. Hazel colored eyes looked through a pair of glasses as she spoke. She was the overseer of the GIW containment facilities, but the woman wasn't exactly as cold hearted as some might think. If anything, she would try to relocate as many of the more sentient specimens that she could in order to prevent them from suffering longer than necessary at the hands of humans. Of course, that was only with permission from Blanc. "Looks like the decisions up to you."

"Yes, it does seem that way Flare." Blanc said as he began to think about what was at stake here. All of the evidence seemed to be pointing to the fact that Phantom was a hero, despite what the older population of the town thought, but extending this olive branch might just doom the whole organization entirely should he prove malignant. He and the other four would rather die than see the facility fall, but without a rise in public approval, it just might end like that eventually anyway. Steeling his voice to a low rumble, not that it was very hard for him to do, the man simply gave a nod to the scientist within the room. "Copper, I want you to see what you can do about your back up plan. I want to hear back from you on that front by the end of the month at the latest. As for getting Phantom to at least consider coming here, we might as well give it a shot."

Noire nodded and folded her hands on the table. After a few seconds of no one volunteering for the potentially dangerous task at hand, she figured it would be prudent of her to do so herself. "I should be able to make that work. I'll be visiting the town in a week or two to meet with an old associate of mine about my business, so I should be able to get some advice from the locals on how to find him." She would probably take one of the more inconspicuous weapons that the organization had at its disposal, if only for her own protection.

Blanc nodded and stood. "Well, if that is all we have to discuss, I believe we are done here." He said, before turning to look at Noire. "I'll be sure to inform our local agents that they are to not engage in combat with the ghost boy while you are staying in the area." With that said, the leader of the GIW stood and strode out of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. The other members of the circle followed suite, and went on their own path. There was much to do in a short amount of time.

* * *

 **Amity Park, Minnesota 8:30 P.M.**

Valerie grit her teeth as she rode through the cold winter air on a hover board that she had ironically received from a ghost in order to follow Danny Phantom into the darkness of space. The girl had barely slept over the past few days and it was starting to wear her down. The emotions rolling around in her head were partially to blame for that, along with the fact that she didn't know what to make of any of the information she had learned ever since her last encounter with the ghost that had set her on the she found herself on.

First, there was Dani Phantom. The girl didn't look any older than ten and she had no home or family to depend on. Not only that, but she was also a human-ghost hybrid. That alone sent Valerie for a loop. How did something like her even come to exist? As far as she knew, it was impossible for something to be dead and alive at the same time. There was also the fact that the girl felt pain when her body was practically breaking apart in Vlad's lab. Was that her human side showing, or could all ghosts feel pain like that? If pain was sign of higher thinking, then were ghosts sentient?

That little thought brought the newest target of her rage, Vlad Masters/Plasmius, to mind. The man had used her like some pawn and lied to her face for as long as he had employed her, and she didn't even notice. He had tortured an innocent girl, one that she had given him on a silver platter, that was just trying to get by in life. Oh, he would pay. She would personally make sure of that. If it weren't for the fact that he had given her the means to hunt ghosts, and in turn Danny Phantom, none of that would have ever happened.

Speaking of which, Phantom in general seemed different when she last encountered him, or that's what she had noticed at least. Despite the situation she had put him in, he had practically given himself to her after Dani was free. She didn't even know he, or ghosts in general, could care for someone so much that he would risk his life for them. Maybe he wasn't a bad ghost. Maybe something forced him to attack her dad's workplace, like some crazed nutjob holding someone he cared for hostage. That last thought sent a twinge of guilt through her mind. Was it right for her to take all of her frustration out on him? If anything, the least she could do was take it easy on him the next time they met.

The sound of what she assumed a fight brought Valerie's attention back to reality. The huntress quickly landed on the roof of a nearby building and looked over the edge, already knowing what she would see. With that in mind, it was no surprise when she saw the town hero fighting Skulker. Thankfully, it didn't seem like they had noticed her and she could see the entire fight from her vantage point atop a nearby building, the night vision of her suit's facial area helping with such a thing. From what she could tell, it looked like the fight had been going on for the last few minutes.

"Seriously, Skulker. Don't you have anything better to do, like maybe spending time with your girlfriend?" Danny asked, his voice holding a slight echo.

"Eh, Ember's having a girl's night or something like that, which means I'm free to do as I please." The robotic ghost said, before a blade grew out of his arm. He then closed the distance and slashed at Phantom, cutting into his black and grey hazmat suit and drawing blood

Danny winced in pain and fired a point blank ball of ecto-energy into Skuler, sending him back a few feet. "Oh, that's nice. Maybe you should find some friends of your own." No matter how much pain he was in, it always seemed like the ghost had some quip for whoever he was fighting. "Or maybe a hobby that doesn't involve hunting me. I hear wood carving is relaxing."

"Really, I don't need distractions." A blast of energy then raced towards Danny, but the halfa simply countered it with a ghost shield. "The advice is appreciated, though."

"Wow, you must be really lonely, then. I mean, you have Ember but not much else." Danny then dodged three missles, but was hit in the face by a fist. He could feel a bit of pain, but he could always have Sam look at it for him later. Of course, he was also sent into a wall from the force of the impact.

"Don't worry, I'll have your pelt soon enough."

"That's still gross, and this is over. I have a book to read by tomorrow, but I'm sure you wouldn't understand. Not like ghosts have to go to school or anything." The teen then fired a beam of ice infused with ectoplasmic energy at Skulker, freezing him solid. The machinery was rather vulnerable to the cold, and it wasn't long before it stopped working. The hero then made an arm intangible before he reached through the ice, grabbing the ghost that was truly Skulker, a tiny ball of ectoplasm with arms and legs.

"You'll pay for this ghost child. I'll have your pelt yet." He yelled, before he was sucked into a Fenton Thermos. The threat might have been more intimidating if he didn't have such a high pitched voice.

To be honest, Phantom's last remark had caught Valerie off guard. She knew Phantom was at her school whenever a ghost attacked, but did he actually attend a school. Was it Casper High? So many questions were plauging her mind and she had no idea what to do with them. When she looked back over the edge, she could see two familiar figures walking towards Phantom. The only question was why. One was a african-american teenager wearing green cargo pants with a yellow long sleeved shirt, along with glasses and a red beret, Tucker. The other was a girl wearing a black tank top that exposed her midriff, a black skirt with a green crosshatch design, purple leggins, and combat boots, Sam. She also had black hair tied into a pony tail. Both were students at her school and were both at the very bottom of the social ladder, but neither was an answer to her question.

"Hey dude, you ok? Sam and I tried to get here as fast as we could." Tucker said, worried that something might have gone wrong. That alone had told Valerie that this wasn't the first time the two had done something like this.

"Ah, I'm fine. Just a small cut and a punch to the face. Nothing too serious." Phantom then gave a light smile as he merely brushed aside any of his friend's concerns. Granted, there were a few other wounds that he didn't go into detail on, but anything minor would be healed by the morning.

"Still doesn't change the fact that you need to cover the wound. The last thing you need is for your parents to see that." Sam said, looking at the cut. Thankfully, it was already starting to heal thanks to Danny's half-ghost physiology, but she always had a first aid kit on hand for anything potentially threatening.

Wait, since when did ghosts have parents? According to the Fentons, ghosts were already supposed to be dead. Something was definitely going on, and now Valerie had to find out.

"I'll keep watch. We may not be in a hospital, but seeing that kind of stuff still freaks me out." Tucker then walked a fair distance away, wanting to make sure his friends were hidden. It certainly wasn't to give them privacy for a potentially intimate moment, honest.

"You should probably change out of that. It'll make it easier for both of us." Sam said, gesturing to Danny's entire body. Trying to get the hazmat suit off of him was next to impossible considering the fact that it would always reappear seconds later.

Danny nodded and what happened next would've made Valerie's jaw drop to the ground if possible. A ring of bright light, unlike the black rings she had seen Vlad use earlier, appeared around Danny's midriff. They then diverged and traveled to opposite ends of the ghost's body. What was once a hazmat suit turned into a white shirt with a red oval design, a pair of baggy blue pants, and sneakers. His skin seemed to grow pale and snow white hair turned jet black. What now stood in front of Sam was a teen known as Danny Fenton, one of the least popular students at Casper High and one of the few students that had accepted Valerie after her dad lost his job.

"Oh my god! Phantom is Fenton! Fenton is Phantom!" Valerie mentally screamed. She didn't even care if Sam was treating Danny's wounds or not. How could she not have seen it before. How could anyone have not seen it before. Aside from a change in hair and eye color, the two were practically the same. Realizing what she had just seen, Valerie got on her hoverbaord and took off. She just needed to get away from it all. She just needed to get home. She could deal with everything tomorrow, and even if a few mysteries were solved, she just had more questions than answers.

 **So, what'd you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Feel free to let me know in a review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is owned by Butch Hartman. I only own the characters within the Founder's Circle and a few other OCs. If I did own it, the show would still be on the air. Also, I've developed a key for dialogue that will be implemented from now on.**

"Regular speech"

" _Language other than English_ "

" **Speech for god like entities" (Case Sensitive)**

'Conversation within the mind'

 **Chapter 2**

 **Amity Park; November 9th 7:30 A.M**

Danny groaned as the sound of his alarm clock filled the room. Even if he had gone to sleep at a relatively decent time, his body was still sore from his fight with Skulker the night before, and he still had to finish the reading Lancer assigned. Still, it could've been a lot worse and he knew it. He somehow managed to keep his grades up for the most part, even with his secret life. The teen groaned as he silenced his alarm and went through his normal morning routine of a shower and a few stretches, before he made his way downstairs for breakfast. What he didn't expect to see was his older sister, Jazz Fenton, sitting at the table. She wore her standard black shirt with blue jeans, and her orange hair fell down to her waist. "Don't you have classes?" He asked.

Jazz glanced at Danny as she ate a bagel with a bit of jam on top. She had started attending freshman classes at the University of Wisconsin for her psychology degree a few months ago, so she wasn't exactly home as often as normal. Still, it wasn't like he didn't miss her or anything. They were family. "Considering the fact that it only takes me two hours to get to campus, I think I can spare a bit of time to see my little brother." She said, giving a light smile. "So, how was your night?"

"Oh, nothing new. I just got into a fight with Skulker. I may have a few bruises, but I should be fine." Danny then got a bowl of cereal as he sat down. "He's more of an annoyance at this point, but he's as persistent as the box ghost. I'll give him that much."

Jazz nodded and thought about everything that had happened to her brother over the last two years. She could see that he had changed and matured over time, most likely due to his life as a hero. "It's still surprising how well you can keep your secret hidden from mom and dad. You'd think they'd catch on by now."

Danny gave a light shrug and thought about when he had first gotten his powers. With the lack of control he had over them back then, he was sure he would've been caught and, as his father so eliquently put it, 'rip him apart molecule by molecule'. Heck, it took him the better part of a year to get them under control, and he was still learning about abilities he didn't even know he had. "Yeah. There were a few close calls, but I managed to slip under the radar. I must have someone watching out for me or something." The teen laughed slightly, before looking around the room. It didn't take him long to notice that his parents weren't there. "Speaking of which, where are they?"

"Mom said that she and dad were going shopping for parts to some new invention, so it looks like I'll be driving you to school. That is, assuming that you aren't taking the aerial route today."

"Sure. I don't see why not." Danny knew he could've just simply turned into Phantom and flown to school, but he decided against it. If anything, it would make his sister happy to know that he still wanted to spend time with her, and that was how he found himself in her car speeding down one of the many streets of Amity Park, Minnesota. The city itself was pretty much identical to every other in the United States, the only difference was that it seemed to be a hotspot for ghosts and that was partially his fault.

Ever since Danny had accidentally turned on his parents' most advanced invention, a portal that could take one into what had been referred to as the Ghost Zone, nothing had ever been the same in the small city or for him. Only a few people knew about his ghost half, those being his two friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley, and his older sister, Jazz Fenton. His friends had known about his other half ever since he got it, while his sister found out on her own. The hero didn't know what he'd do without them and was glad that he had their support. Yet, there were times where he felt isolated. He was one of the only three halfas in existence, the other being the fruit-loop of a mayor, Vlad Masters/Plasmius and his clone, Danielle. The former was practically insane and the other was off exploring the world somewhere. If anyone found out about any them, he could only imagine what would happen: experiments, his parents abandoning him or hunting him to the ends of the Earth, his friends never being able to see him again because of their own parents' fears. The life he had now would essentially come crashing down on top of him, and that was one wreck he wouldn't be able to phase out of.

Of course, the fact that he had accidentally opened a portal to another world meant that something would eventually come through, and thats exactly what happened. The fact that the Fenton portal was constantly on meant that ghosts were constantly streaming into the human world. Sure, there were natural portals, but those were highly unpredictable and could send you anywhere at any point in the Earth's history, at least as far as he was aware. Either way, Danny took it upon himself to fight any ghosts that came into the human world, despite what some of the people in his hometown thought.

"We're here." Jazz said, pulling up to the front of the school and effectively bringing Danny out of his thoughts.

"Thanks Jazz. I'll see you later." The teen said, grabbing his backpack and quickly exiting the car. As he made his way into the courtyard, Danny could see grouos of students gathered in their own niches, each one taking their own table and exactly what one would expect to find in a high school. He could see Lester and his friends playing some card game near the main doors. The jocks and cheerleaders were by the football field, the former most likely bragging about their recent game. Various other groupes were scattered randomly about the area. The brick building itself was three stories tall with a football field behind it and the American flag waving from a pole on the roof. Valerie was reading a book, but he could've sworn that she spared a quick glance at him before returning her attention to the words on the pages in front of her. She seemed nervous, but he didn't know what could cause someone like her to be in such a state. Danny eventually found his friends sitting under their usual meeting place, an old tree that was about half the height of the school.

It didn't take long for the other two to nothing him and light smiles graced their lips. "I'm surprised you managed to get out of bed today. You took a few good hits last night." Tucker said.

"Ghost powers, my friend. They're both a blessing and a curse at the same time." Danny said, sitting next to Sam. Thankfully, the three were practically the outcasts when it came to the school's social heirarchy, so most people avoided them like the plauge. That alone made it easier to talk amongst themselves without fear of revealing too much information "The cut's still healing, but the swelling from the bruise went down."

"Yeah, I've been down that road. At least technology doesnt drive me crazy."

"No, but it is your obsession." Sam said, smiling lightly. "I'm surprised you didn't turn into something like Technus."

"And nature is yours, so would that make you like Undergrowth if you were to suddenly get ghost powers."

"That's not the kind of stuff we should be joking about. Believe me, the pain isn't worth it." Danny said, hair covering his eyes as memories floated to the surface.

Sam and Tucker both looked at each other and decided to end the conversation there. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess we weren't really thinking." The goth then placed her hand on Danny's own, if only to comfort the boy.

"Besides, no matter what life throws at us, we always come out on top. It's practically our motto at this point." Tucker said, laughing a bit.

Tucker's words seemed to help lighten the mood and the other two seemed to laugh a bit. "Yeah. I guess it pretty much is. From the box ghost to Pariah Dark, we can take down anything, and we do it all for free." Danny said, looking into the clouds. "I know you guys didn't really mean it, so it's ok. Besides, I could totally see that being your ghost forms."

"Speaking of which, have any of you seen the way Valerie's been acting? It's like she saw a ghost or something." Tucker said, glancing at said huntress. Sure she had went after Danny a few times, but that didn't mean they shouldn't worry about her as a person.

"You mean one that she couldn't shoot at? I'm sure she's fine." Sam said, crossing her arms. She and Valerie never were close, and the fact that the former was determined to end Danny didn't really help.

"Sorry Sam, but I'm going to have to agree with Tucker. She looked at me earlier and I swear that she was afraid I was gonna attack her or something."

"Well, we should probably be careful, then. The last thing we need is for her to find out about your ghost half."

"Knowing my luck, she may already have."

Before anyone could respond, the school bell rang, signifying the beginning of class. The trio glanced at each other, hoping everything would be ok.

Of course, the universe always seemed to throw a wrench in the works when it came to the teens, and today was no different. A light blue mist exited Danny's mouth as a chill crawled up his spine, letting him know that a ghost was near. A indecipherable scream could also be heard in the distance as a somewhat large figure crashed into the ground, cratering it under the force and weight of the object. It didn't take long for other students to notice and a panic ensued. Almost everyone rushed to the doors in an attempt to either get away from whatever ghost had arrive, watch the coming fight, or both. The only four not panicking were Sam, Tucker, Danny, and Valerie as they were used to this sort of thing. Of course, Valerie wasn't around, most likely having to find a place to hide so that she could change into her cybernetic suit, but Danny and his friends were still at the scene.

"Seriously, now of all times. Can't these guys just give me a break." Danny muttered, before running behind a tree. He assumed that it was one of his old enemies back for revenge, but he didnt really know who would've been able to reach the human world without someone opening a portal. When he made sure that no one could see him, he shifted into his ghost form and flew into the air space over the crater. "Ok. I don't care who you are, but we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Which one is it going to be?"

As the dust settled, everyone present was surprised to see that a new ghost stood before them, one that was slowly recovering from the impact it had just endured. If appearance was anything to go by, it looked like a dragon. Sunlight gleamed off of silver scales as amethyst eyes looked around the area. The ghost seemed to be searching for something, and if it had noticed the humans, had shown no signs of aggression thus far. The shape of its head looked similar to that of a fox with four horns protruding out of each side of the skull, while it's body had a lithe, yet muscular build. The neck of the ghost was about two to three feet in length, providing ample room for the head to turn. It also walked on four legs, each having a paw with a set of four claws that were likely as sharp as knives. The ghost's overall body seemed to be about twenty four feet in length and stood at six feet from the ground in relation to the top of its leg. A set of wings were folded to its side, giving away the fact that the ghost most likely could fly. When the ghost locked eyes with Phantom, it tilted its head in curiosity. " _Who are you_?"

Danny's eyes widened as the dragon spoke. From the way the ghost's voice sounded, there was no doubt that it was female. "Sorry, but I don't speak whatever language that was. You do look familiar, though. You wouldn't happen to be related to Princess Dora, would you?"

Time seemed to slow as the dragon's eyes narrowed and her mouth curled into a snarl, showing a row of sharpened teeth on her upper and lower jaw. She had no idea what the strange ghost in front of her said, but she did recognize the name he had said, if only slightly. " _Who are you_!?" This time the voice held a hint of aggression.

"Ok, you basically asked the same thing. From the tone, I'm just going to assume that you aren't a friend of Dora, and by extension, me. In that case, I'm going to have to ask you to head back to the ghost zone, or I'll have to use force." Danny then made his hand glow with green energy in hopes of dissuading the potential opponent. He had no idea how strong the ghost was, so he would have to be careful.

The dragon let out a low growl as more confusing words poured out of the boy's mouth. Did this ghost not know latin or something. To be honest, She didn't even know where she was. At the very least, it wasn't a part of the world that she was familiar with. The ghost then let out a growl as she noticed the green light, her body tensing as she felt a fire rise up in her chest. His body language was all she needed at this point. " _You will die for what you have done to my kind, hunter_."

Danny barely had time to move as a stream of blue fire flew out of the ghost's maw and towards him. "Ok, looks like you want to fight. Bring it on." The teen then fired a ray of ectoplasmic energy at his opponent.

Unfortunetly, the ghost was predicting the attack and flew above it, making it detonate against the ground below her. Despite the nine feet between the two, the ghost quickly covered the distance and batted Danny to the ground with her tail. She would've gloated for a bit, if it weren't for the sudden pain in her back. Wincing as she turned, the ghost could see Sam and Tucker in the distance, each having what looked like guns strapped to their wrists. They weren't ghosts, that much she was sure of, which meant that they were most likely humans. It didn't take long for her to realize that if she was looking at humans, then she wasn't in the ghost zone at all, but rather the human world. An animalistic growl reverberated through the ghost's throat, making it hard to tell if she was pleased with this new information. She then dove towards them, only to be stopped by having a fist planted into her cheek with enough force to knock her off course and face plant into the ground.

"Paws off lizard breath." Danny said. The boy then glanced at his two friends. "I thought weapons weren't allowed in school."

"Like anyone's going to complain. Besides, I think everyone was moved to the gym long before this thing turned aggressive." Sam said, giving a sly smile. "So, you got anything on this one?"

"Only that she goes nuts if you mention Princess Dora. Aside from that, I can't understand a word of what she said."

"I'm on it." Tucker said, quickly grabbing his PDA and began typing what he had heard the ghost say as best as he could into a translation program. When the results came up, he raised a brow. "Huh, she's speaking Latin. That's new, at least compared to the ghosts we normally fight."

"Great, so she probably couldn't understand a word I said earlier. That still doesn't explain who she-"

Before Danny could finish, the dragoness rammed into him, sending them both into a brick wall. While the weapons the humans used hurt, they were minor annoyances compared to the anger she was directing at Phantom. Of course, it had taken a few seconds for her to recover from his attack, but they had given her enough time to do so. Intentional or not, that was their mistake. The ghost then grabbed Danny, digging her claws into the hazmat suit covering his skin, before throwing him in a random direction. It was a mere coincidence that it was towards his friends.

Danny groaned as he hit the ground and noticed his friends were next to him. His body was sore, but they didn't seem to be hurt and that was all that mattered to him. He then stood and gave a crooked smile at the ghost. "Is that all you got?"

A low snarl could be heard from their opponent's throat, which was quickly cut off by a roar of pain as a beam of pink energy hit her in the side, leaving a small burn and pushing her in the direction the blast was going in, if only by a small margin. Turning, the ghost saw Valerie in her combat suit and on her hover board. Of course, she didn't know what it was at the time. Either way she was not pleased with this turn of events.

"Long time no see, Phantom." Valerie said, her voice holding a hint of anger but not as much as usual.

This did not go unnoticed by Danny and his friends, even if they were in a potential fight for their lives."Huh, normally you shoot at me whenever you see me. Looks like someone's changing." He said.

"Save it! After this, we're going to have a nice long talk, and you are not getting out of it."

"He doesn't have to tell you anything." Sam said, practically yelling at the ghost hunter.

"Sam, play nice please." Danny then glanced at Valerie and nodded. "Do what you want, but careful. This one's new."

The ghost simply looked at the four, somewhat confused by the break in fighting. Were they actually ignoring her. None of this was making sense to her, especially the other ghost. Why had he protected the humans earlier. Did they have something to do with his obsession? The dragon then shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. None of that even mattered to her. The boy was going to attack her in the first place, so she was only defending herself at this point. The dragon then launched a stream of fire at Valerie in an attempt to distract her, before bounding towards Sam and Tucker.

"Eyes on me, spook." Valerie said, firing more energy blasts from her large rifle as she ducked out of the way of the fire. The flame billowed outward as it hit the concrete, and a few trails of smoke wafted into the air..

Danny noticed the ghost running towards his friends and flew to intercept her. "How strong is this thing?"

"Don't know, just shoot it." Sam said as she and Tucker fired their own weapons in an attempt to knock their opponent out.

The ghost noticed the incoming blasts and Danny, and an idea formed in her head that might just work. She simply jumped over Phantom and used him as a spring board to propel herself forward, pushing him in the way of Valerie's attack. Sam and Tucker's shots hit her in a leg and wing respectively, but she ignored the pain for now. The ghost then pinned both humans to the ground. One could see the anger in her eyes, but also something else, fear. It was doubtful that either human noticed, given their current predicament, however. The area underneath the scales of her chest then began to glow as her mouth dropped open, a green fire building within her.

Danny groaned as the blast hit and sent him into a wall, but he managed to recover. It didn't take long for him to notice the situation his friends were in, and felt something shift in his core. Memories of an alternate timeline then ran through his head, one much different than the one he currently inhabited. He had protected his town without any deaths, and there was no way his friends were going to be the first. "No. Get away from them!" With that yell, his eyes flashed a light blue, but something was different. Instead of firing a beam of ice, two geysers of water erupted from underneath the ghost, sending her into the air by impacting her chest and freeing his friends.

Needless to say, all of the humans present were surprised. "Well, that's new." Sam said. The goth was soaked from the water, but at least she was alive.

The ghost dragon, on the other hand, quickly recovered in midair. Her wings extended to show that they had a span of around 48 feet between their tips, beating them downwards in order to merely hover in the air. She was honestly getting annoyed by these beings, and while they may not have aimed to kill her immediately, there had still proven themselves to be threats. For now, she would have to retreat to fight another day. That didn't mean that she wouldn't remember what they looked like, though. The ghost then let loose a stream of fire, twisting her body so that she would be obstructed by smoke, before flying away from the scene.

"That's right, you better run." Tucker's words pretty much fell on deaf ears, as their target flew higher and higher into the air.

"Please be quiet. That thing could've killed you both." Danny said, somewhat exhausted from the fight. Thankfully, the ghost hadn't set fire to anything during her outburst, so that was one less thing to worry about.

"So, you need any help dealing with her?" Sam asked, glancing at Valerie, who was still standing on her board.

"No. You two should leave before anyone notices you're gone." The teen then watched his friends head back into the school building, before he heard the sound of Valerie's rifle powering up.

* * *

Valerie had known Danny Fenton for the better part of two years, but she still couldn't imagine that he and Phantom were the same. Hell, they had even dated for a time and he didn't even think to tell her. Who would do something like that? Granted, she could also see why he wouldn't. She hated his other half's existence ever since a ghost dog ruined her dad's life, and by extension, her own. Either way, she had helped him with the ghost or whatever that thing had been, and now she didn't know what to do. "Put your hands behind your back and turn around."

"Right, still have to deal with you." He muttered under his breath, before doing as he was told. The last thing he needed right now was a pissed off Valerie. "Is this really necessary?"

"Not unless you want to me to shoot you at point-blank range." It hurt to say the words to someone she thought she knew personally, but that didn't matter right now. She couldn't take any chances and this was the best opportunity to get the answers she was looking for. After a few moments of silence, the huntress decided to continue with her interrogation. "So tell me, who is Vlad: Masters or Plasmius?"

Danny's eyes widened in surprise and felt a bit nervous when it came to an answer. Before he said anything else, he needed to be sure that she was being serious about this. If Vlad knew his secret was out, he would most likely take measures to make sure his former pawn never spoke of it to anyone. "What makes you think they're connected?"

"You mean aside from the fact that I saw the former turn into the latter, nothing. I didn't think that much about it and just assumed that he was a ghost posing as a human. That is, until I saw the same thing happen to you, only in reverse, Fenton."

If Danny was in his human form and she had accused him of being Phantom, his heart would've stopped. Instead, the concrete around him gained a small layer of frost over it that slowly crept over his feet. He could try to deny it, but there was little chance she would believe him at this point. "How long have you known?" He asked. The teen could guess when Valerie had seen Vlad turn into Plasmius, but he had no idea when she had seen him turn into Fenton. Was that why she had been acting strange around him earlier? Did she tell anyone else?

"I learned about Vlad's connection to Plasmius after I helped you get Dani away from him. As for you, it was last night after you fought the shrimp in the tin can. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. I still have a hard time believing it, so I wanted to hear it directly from you before I ruin someone's life."

Danny visibly relaxed and noticed the frost on his feet. "Thanks. You have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear you say that." He said, moving slightly to displace the ice. The teen then sighed as he looked into the sky. "As for the thing with me and Vlad, that's complicated to say the least."

"Considering everything that's been happening in this city for the past two years, I'd believe anything at this point. You aren't getting out of this that easily." Valerie said.

The teen cast a sideways glance at Valerie. This was not something he wanted to share with just anyone, but figured that it would most likely help in the long run. "Long story short, I basically walked into my parents' ghost portal and hit the 'on' button. Vlad just got blasted in the face by the same energy while he was in college." He said rather bluntly. "It isn't the most pleasant experience."

"So, you're both dead? That still doesn't explain how you can turn into Fenton, and where does Danielle fit into all of this? You said that she was half human, so I'm guessing she's like you and Vlad?"

"Dani's my clone, but I think of her as family." He said, not really hesitating." You're also wrong to think that I'm dead. The three of us are basically hybrids, half human half ghost. If anything, I half died that day. Please don't ask how that works, because I'm still trying to figure that out. As for how I can switch between a ghost and human, think of it as flipping a coin. I feel my other half and take that form. I still have all of the same biological functions as a normal human, even if they are slower than the most experianced athletes." Danny said, before transforming into his human half. "I think the ectoplasm the portal released may have revived me or something, but I'm not entirely sure. I can't exactly go to a hospital or my parents to get that checked because that's basically a one way ticket to an examination table."

"But Sam and Tucker know, and that hasn't happened yet." Valerie said, pointing out the obvious. "I saw them with you when you shifted into Fenton." The hunter then decided to lower the rifle she had been holding for the past few minutes, noticing her arms were getting tired.

Danny's eyes narrowed and a shadow was cast over his eyes by his hair. It didn't take him long to respond, anger lacing his voice. It was rare that he would get like this, but considering everything that had happened to him over the course of his current line of work, it was understandable "They were there when the accident happened. They were the only ones, aside from those who weren't already half ghost, that I could trust with my secret until my own sister eventually found out. They, along with Jazz, are the only ones to truly accept both Fenton and Phantom. Except for those few, I always imagine the worst case scenario when it comes to other people finding out about my secret. How do you think I managed to evade the GIW, my own parents, and you for so long." It was the hard truth and he knew it, but that didn't make it any easier for him to say.

Valerie felt like she had been punched in the gut and winced slightly as Danny spoke. After everything she had done to Phantom, she felt like she at least deserved some of the mistrust he was showing. "I know there's not much I can say that will magically make things better between us, but I want you to know that I'm sorry." Her voice was low as she spoke, and held a slight trace of regret. "I'm sorry for blaming you for everything that's happened to me and for how I acted towards you, both as Phantom and when we first met. I was just so angry that I honestly couldn't even think straight. I just saw you and immediatly attacked."

Danny seemed to notice the emotion in the hunter's voice and put a hand on her shoulder. "You really shouldn't beat yourself up over it, Valerie. I mean, I didn't really do that good a job at catching Cujo when he was trying to get his chew toy, and you didn't really know it was me for all this time." The teen then gave a slight smile, before realizing he had revealed that he knew the huntress' identity. At this point, he didn't really care, though. It would've had to come out eventually. "I think it's safe to say that you're forgiven."

Valerie gave a slight smirk as her suit retracted, leaving her in her civilian clothes. It was Danny that had revealed the fact that she was hunting ghosts to her dad during Pariah Dark's invasion, but something told her that he had known long before that. EIther way, there was no point in hiding who she was at this point. "You knew and you didn't do anything to me." It wasn't a question. The hunter had given Danny plenty of opportunities to hurt her during the brief time that they dated, but he hadn't. "I guess you aren't that bad. Granted, you did trash my old suit."

"I knew it wasn't you when your original suit was attacking me. It was being controlled by another ghost. To be honest, I never really did anything to intentionally hurt you, or anyone really. If I did, I was either being controlled by some villain or it was staged to make me look like the bad guy."

"Makes sense. Strange things always seem to happen here and you probably have a lot of enemies in both worlds. As for what happened at Axion, You were only Phantom for like what, three months when... Cujo went on a rampage at Axion labs so you probably weren't really that strong." It felt weird to say the ghost dog's name, but it was time for her to change. That was the least she could do. Of course, she also gave a sly smile as she spoke.

"Hey, I resent that statement,"Danny said, pretending like he was insulted. "But yeah. I wasn't really that experienced and the security system wasn't exactly designed with ghosts in mind."

Valerie couldn't help but give a light chuckle, before nodding. "So, what happens now?" She asked, both curious and worried as to what Danny would say.

The teen shrugged, figuring that this would be coming eventually. "To be honest, I don't know. Can you honestly go back to hunting me after learning about both halves of me? I mean, I'm not really goong to force you to do anything, so it's up to you at this point."

"Assuming that everything you told me was the truth, no. I don't really want to at this point. You may be a ghost, but you're still human, so I guess I can trust you." Valerie then stuck out her hand. "So, truce?"

Danny nodded and shook Valerie's hand. "Truce. I'll tell Sam and Tucker what happened, so maybe they'll truely give you a chance."

"Thanks. Now that I think about it, how has no one even figured this out yet. I mean, it's not like you go through some massive change in appearance like Vlad. Your eyes turn green and your hair goes white."

The teen could only laugh and shake his head. "Personally, I think it has to do with the fact that people can't wrap their head around the idea of something like me existing, so they just assume we're two different beings. That being said, I'm pretty sure we should be heading back to class. The last thing either of us need is detention."

"Good point. My dad worries about me enough as it is. By the way, thanks for blowing my secret in front of him, jerk." Her voice held a sarcastic tone, but she had long since gotten over that.

"Hey, what are friends for." Danny said, before running off with Valerie close behind him. The rest of the day was relatively normal. Their homeroom class was practically cancelled because of the ghost attack, but everything else was there. Dash still threw Danny into his locker before lunch, Paulina wouldn't shut up about how Phantom had saved her from the ghost dragon, even if it wasn't true and no one aside from a few other A-listers were listening to her, and Danny and his friends met up at the Nasty Burger to talk about what had happened earlier. When other students and a few teachers asked where they were, both of them simply said that they found somewhere to hide, but Sam and Tucker were curious as to what happened after they left.

"So, I guess Valerie let you off easy or something?" Sam was the first to start the conversation that they all knew was coming.

"More like she found out about the fact that Vlad and I are half ghost. She took it better than I thought, though." He said.

"You mean you wanted her to blast you into next week?" Tucker asked incredulously, before taking a bite out of his grease laden hamburger. "Granted, she almost did from how you make it sound, but I think the fact that she didn't means that Team Phantom just got another member."

"I wouldn't go that far, but she does seem to be changing for the better. At the very least, we can trust her to keep a secret. After we get Danny's new power figured out, maybe we can ask her about joining." Sam said, crossing her arms.

"We can take a trip into the Ghost Zone to talk to Clockwork this weekend. My parents will be at a convention, so we'll have the whole house to ourselves. While we're there, we should probably ask Dora about that ghost dragon and see what she knows."

"Good idea. If anyone would know about her, it'd most likely be a ghost that can turn into one." To be honest, the goth girl couldn't help but be a bit curious when it came to the backstory of their mystery opponent. She seemed strong, but the ghost hadn't gone invisible during its escape and was definitly faster in the air than on the ground.

"Either way, I'll update the database and tell Jazz about what happened tonight."

Both of his friends nodded and they spent the rest of the time joking around and just being normal teenagers. They rarely got such a break in the roller coaster that was their lives, and it felt nice to not have to worry about anything.

 **Fentonworks; 5:00 P.M.**

Needless to say, Jazz didn't take the news well. "I'm going with you." She said, looking at her younger brother as he laid on the couch. Her voice held a caring, yet determined tone. Call it overprotectiveness, but she was understandably worried when Danny told her he was attacked by an unknown ghost that seemed to be strong enough to keep him on edge during their fight. She had also seen the injuries he had sustained and felt a pit form in her stomach. She knew Danny could handle himself in a fight, but she was still his older sister and she felt like it was her job to protect him.

"Come on, Jazz. It's not like I'm going to spend the entire weekend in the Ghost Zone." He said, giving a slight smile. I'll just talk to a few of my friends and I'll be back in time for dinner. Besides, I'll have Sam and Tucker with me, so I'll have backup if i need it."

"That still doesn't mean that I won't be going with you. Besides, I haven't really been in the ghost zone, and I'm pretty sure the time the town was dragged there by Pariah Dark didn't count." She said. "This is the best time for me to learn and it'd give me the best opportunity to meet your other allies."

Danny sighed as he shifted positions so that he was sitting on a cushion. "You aren't going to drop this, are you?" He asked.

"Nope, and I'll probably find a way to hide on the spectre speeder if you still say no. You can't say no to a protective sister."

"Fine, but I want you to have the Fenton peeler on you at all times just to be safe." Danny said, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Jazz nodded and smiled, silently celebrating her victory. "I know and I'll be careful." She said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Amity Park; November 14, 3:30 P.M.**

If Danny had known how easy hunting the ghosts that managed to slip into the human world on a seemingly daily basis would be with Valerie on his side, then he probably would've done it when they had been dating. Sure, there was the fact that she might kill him, or at least finish the job, but an extra gun was always welcome in any fight. It wasn't even that hard equipping the newest member of Team Phantom with a Fenton thermos. Thankfully, her normal battle attire already had more than enough weapons to silence any thought of giving her anything from the Fenton arsenal, or at least any of the inventions that actually worked.

Still, getting the chance to act like normal teenagers every once in a while was practically a godsend for the group, and Danny and his friends, sans the Red Huntress, had managed to find a respite in the living room of the halfa's home before their trip into the ghost zone. To be fair though, most wouldn't be watching footage of a fight that they had been in just days prior. "With these two protecting the city, I think its safe to say that Phantom's enemies don't stand a ghost of a chance." The current news segment was that belonging to Ghost Watch, a news segment whose name was rather obvious. They would essentially show up at any one of Team Phantom's more public fights do a story on that or whatever else they had managed to hash together. As for the reporter currently speaking, that would be one Tiffany Snow, a regular to the program as a news anchor. "Now that the Red Huntress is working alongside Phantom, what other ghost hunters will become his allies?"

"Well, at least it's good media coverage." Danny said, cringing slightly at the pun.

"Ah, it's all an act. That ghost kid is probably controlling her in some way." The voice itself belonged to Jack Fenton, Danny and Jazz's father. He, along with his wife Maddie, were putting the finishing touches on one of their latest inventions before they headed out to a weekend convention in Wisconsin. The invention, aptly dubbed the ecto-gatler by Jack, was basically a gatling gun with three rings of ten gun barrels that was meant to fire stored ectoplasm at a incredible speed. How they heard Danny over the sound of the tv was a mystery.

"Your father's right, dear. All ghosts are simply ectoplasmic manifestations of post-human consciousness and malevolent in nature." Maddie said as she put a few spare tools in their respective container.

The teen simply rolled his eyes, knowing better than to get into a argument with his parents about ghosts. He knew that most of their research was flawed, but there was no way he could correct them on such things without revealing some the secrets he kept from them. That alone would draw too much attention to himself, and he didn't really expect them to understand his state of being. After all, they did hunt ghosts for a living. Hopefully Valerie's father was a bit more accepting. Heck, the only reason she wasn't with the rest of the team was to throw off any connection between the two of them and their hero identities.

"Anyway, once the ecto-gatler is fully operational, we'll blast that ghost kid into next week with this baby."

"Yes, but that can wait until after the weekend." Maddie said. "Anyway, we should be going if we want to make it to the hotel on time."

"Right. I'll put the gatler in the vault." Jack said, running down the stairs and into the lab that comprised the basement of their home and holding the rather large weapon by two bars, one sticking out from the furthest end in relation to the gun barrels and the other in the center of the mass of metal.

Maddie gave a light smile as she watched her husband leave, before turning her attention to Danny. "We'll only be gone for the next few days, but Jazz will be here if you need anything sweetie?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine, mom. Have fun on your trip. You two deserve a vacation from ghosts." Danny said.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you when you go off to college." Of course, that was still a year or two off, but that didn't really matter to her. Maddie then gave her son a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. They may be obsessed with their work, but both parents cared for their children dearly. After that, it didn't take long for both ghost hunters to climb into the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle, which was pretty much a militarized RV on tank treads, and headed off to Wisconsin. Fortunately, or unfortunately if you were on the road in front of the behemoth of a vehicle, Jack was driving, which meant that they would probably get to there destination before the sun set under the horizon.

Danny then glanced at both Sam and Tucker, before giving a light smile. "So, you two ready to head off into the Infinite Realms? Jazz is still getting a few things, so we should have a some time."

"And here I thought you'd just leave me behind." Jazz said, coming down the stairs with a backpack containing both medical supplies and the Fenton ghost peeler should it be needed. While they may be going to visit Danny's allies, he still had enemies to deal with and she wouldn't be caught unprepared.

"Us, leave you behind? You're crazy." Sam said, giving a light smile and a laugh. "Anyway, Tucker and I are ready. My parents don't know I'm here, and his actually like you."

Danny nodded, before the four headed into the laboratory basement. Science equipment was scattered throughout the room and the ghost portal was on the wall furthest from the stairs, the black and yellow striped steel doors sealing away an entire dimension from their world. The specter speeder was in the middle of the room, hovering just in front of the portal. After opening the doors, the three human teens climbed into the vehicle as Danny shifted into his ghost form and soon found themselves shooting through the Ghost Zone.

"Whoa." Jazz said, looking into the green sky that looked like something out of a Van Ghou's _Starry Night_. Stone islands floated through the air and purple doors leading to the lairs of other ghosts hovered in place. "This place is amazing."

"Welcome to the Ghost Zone, sis. Just try not to spook the locals." While the group had came into the Ghost Zone to speak with a few of Danny's allies, they had decided to take a alternate route to their first destination, Dora's kingdom. The only problem was that there didn't seem to be any ghost in the immediate area, let alone any geological features aside from a few floating chunks of rock. It was as if one could just look down and peer into the dimension's very core and the darkness it dwelled in

Of course, it didn't take long for someone to bring that minor, in not concerning, fact up. "Dude, is it just me, or is this area deader than normal?" Tucker asked, looking at the scanners in the specter speeder.

"I don't know, but I'm not waiting around to find out." Danny said, before flying ahead. The entire area in general made a chill run down his spine, which was strange considering the fact that he had been to the Ghost Zone several times before, and had never recalled feeling such a thing.

Eventually, the four of them arrived at Dora's kingdom and were greeted by the guards. Leaving the specter speeder on the outskirts of the town, they were escorted to the castle. As they walked through the relatively large area, they could see that it had grown since the change in leadership, something that was very much welcome in their opinion. If the people rallied behind Dora, then there would be very little chance of an uprising or her brother taking back the throne. Upon reaching the castle and walking through the oaken doors that led to the throne room, they could see Princess Dora looking over scrolls they assumed were important. She had become Danny's ally when he and his friends helped her defeat her brother and free her people from his rule. It took a few moments for the monarch to realize that she was not alone, but not displeased when she realized who it was. "Sir Phantom and friends, to what do I owe this unexpected visit." It didn't take long for her to also notice Jazz, and she was somewhat curious about her. "I also see you brought another human with you."

"Yeah. This is my sister, Jazz. She wanted to come along so that she could meet a few of my allies in person. Are we interrupting anything?" Danny asked, hoping that that wasn't the case.

"No, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jazz. Any relative of Sir Phantom is a friend of mine, so long as they aren't a threat to my subjects of course." She said.

Jazz didn't know what to do, so she simply gave a slight bow. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, princess."

"Please, call me Dora. Now, I'm curious as to why you are all here. My brother is still locked away in the dungeon, so it can't be because of him."

Danny decided that it would be best to keep his new power a secret for the time being, at least until he trained it. That didn't mean he wouldn't tell her about the new ghost, however. "To be honest, I don't really know what to think of this, but my friends and I were attacked by a dragon. She wasn't either of you, that much was evident from the silver color of her scales. I was wondering if you knew anything about her."

Dora's eyes seemed to widen in shock, before she set the documents aside. The teens now had her full attention. "Unfortunately, I do. I never would've thought one of them would still be in existence, let alone make it to the human world, though."

That got the attention of the four teens, and now more questions were brought to light. "What exactly do you mean by that?" Sam asked.

Dora sighed and folded her hands. "There's a reason why the amulets my brother and I wear turn us into dragons when activated. They both contain what are essentially the spirits of the very creatures within them." It was evident that she was not proud of that part of her family's history, but also fortunate that she took the time to learn it. She would need it to tell the coming story.

"Ok, but that doesn't explain how it got into the human world or why it called me a hunter in Latin." Danny could tell that this was going to be a rather unpleasant story, and he steeled his nerves accordingly.

The ghost princess nodded, before continuing on with the conversation. "That is unexpected. Only a few ghosts know Latin, and those that do haven't used the language in ages. As for why the dragon called you a hunter, that can also be answered." Dora then paused slightly, trying to think of an answer.

"They were presumably hunted to extinction." Sam's voice was a bit blunt, but she knew she wasn't wrong. Nearly every story she knew of depicted dragons as mindless beasts that destroyed everything in their path and tormented humans. Why would it be any different in the Ghost Zone? Granted, there were a few modern day cultures that worshiped the creatures, but those only seemed to reside primarily in Asia.

"Up until this point, it was believed that they had been, but it was not without reason. As you know, Pariah Dark ruled the Infinite Realms before many of its current inhabitants, but what you do not full realize was the impact his sealing had on this dimension as a whole. What we might consider realms today were fractured in terms of internal politics, and one of the largest was inhabited by beings that belong to the same 'species' as the ghost that you fought earlier today: dragons. They were strong, aggressive to any ghost that wandered into their territory within reason, and constantly fought with each other for resources, territory, and among other things, sport. No one really batted an eye at any of this, for while they may have been a threat to others united, they could not cooperate with anyone aside from possibly family. Something changed, however. One day, a new dragon appeared in their land, one stronger than any before him. He came from no known nest, though I believe it was rumored that he joined one eventually."

The princess then shook her head as she momentarily lost her train of thought. Memories tended to fade faster when the events of the time period in question were not clear. After a few moments to collect her breath, she continued on with the story. "Either way, after five years of fighting, this dragon united his kind, and his name was Draco Ignis. Despite his strength, though, he never considered himself better than his subjects. During his rule, his people experienced what humans might consider a time of peace as they carried on with their individual existences.

"So, what happened to him? If he was such a good ruler, I doubt that his people would betray him." Tucker said, a worried look evident on his face. He was scared to listen to the rest of the story, but knew it would help in the future. He, along with the rest of his friends were more curious than anything now, and were also worried about where this story was going.

"Fear is a very strong motivational force, Sir Tucker. While Draco wished for peace and to remain isolated within his home, along with his subjects, other ghosts were not pleased with the amount of power he held and many forces outside his realm conspired against him. I wish that I could say that my ancestors weren't a part of this plot, but then I would be lying." Regret was evident in Dora's tone, but there was nothing she could do to change the past. "They planned to simply poison him during one of the few times he visited the other realms within this dimension, but something went horribly wrong. Instead of Draco, a dragoness who he considered a dear friend and his escort at the time fell in his stead."

Danny flinched slightly. He knew his obsession was protecting anyone close to him, and if Draco was anything like what Dora said, he could already guess what had happened. "He didn't take it lightly, did he?"

"Not at all. Even if the most vocal critics within his land had fallen, nothing would've changed. Draco viewed his people as his own children, even if he had none of his own. The death of the dragoness brought about the full force of his rage, something few have ever seen and even fewer live through. The other ghosts assembled barely escaped with their existences intact, and Draco returned to his lair, grief stricken. The texts made it unclear if he knew of their full involvement, so that may be the only reason why he let them live at the time. Seeing his full power didn't intimidate his enemies, however. It simply hardened their resolve to see him end."

Dora then stood and walked towards a window, staring out into the green sky. "Not wanting to have a second Pariah Dark and lacking the powers that sealed the tyrant away, the forces of the far frozen, my own at the time, Pandora's acropolis, and many other smaller realms amassed into one singular force and attacked Draco and his people head on. The skirmish would later become known as the Battle of Dragon's Edge, and lasted for three days and four nights. Draco was expecting a surprise attack and had strengthened the defenses of his land accordingly, but even he knew that the odds were against him. He had no allies aside from his own subjects at the time, and his army was vastly outnumbered by three to one. By the end of the third day, thousands of dragons lay either dead or dying, and he felt all of their pain and suffering. It didn't matter if they fought or not. They were all targeted. As for Draco, the king felt like he had failed his people. As his final command, he ordered anyone who was able bodied to leave and escape their death. Many did manage to accomplish the task, taking hatchlings with them as their king fought as hard as he could to ensure their survival. Hundreds of ghosts died before he was subdued. For his final words, he only gave this solemn warning before he was executed, 'Beware the child of life and death, for they shall take my final breath' _._ At least, that is its English translation. Either way, his enemies began to hunt down and kill the dispersed dragons, fearing retribution and not wanting to have them united again. As I said before, it was believed that the last dragon died hundreds of years ago and none have been seen since. At least, not until today. Only a few beings remain that know of the legend, and many of those are hidden away in the darkest recesses of the Infinite Realms."

The four teens were shocked by what they had been told. The story was tragic to say the least, and it all stemmed from hatred and the death of a friend. Sure they fought ghosts, but Draco sounded like he was on a whole different level entirely. The warning wasn't exactly the must comforting thing either. From what they could discern from previous experiences, the 'child of life and death' part could be interpreted in such a way as to mean that a new halfa would be made. The second half was confusing. Was it meant to be a warning of his reincarnation? If that was the case, then he could be dormant within Danny, Vlad, or Danielle, waiting for the right time to emerge. As unlikely as it was, anything was possible with ghosts. The legend was centuries old, though. Surely it must be nothing more than a mere few dying last words.

Eventually, Danny decided to break the palpable silence that had entered the room. "If Draco's people were killed hundreds of years ago and haven't been seen since, how did that dragon attack us?" That was one of the few things concerning him now.

"It is possible that she escaped through a naturally formed portal. It certainly would also explain how she survived for so long and was never seen until today." Dora then turned to looked at the four teens. "I'm sorry all of you had to hear this, but I thought it would be important to know about the dragon and what her past might have been. The history may not be entirely accurate, but that is from the least biased account I have read." The princess then returned to her throne and clasped her hands.

Danny nodded and sighed. This was so much to digest, but at least most of the questions he had were answered. "Thank you, Dora. Hopefully the next time we see that dragon will be on better terms."

"Safe travels, friends. Do feel free to visit again soon." She said. Plans were already forming in her mind as to what to do about this new revelation and whether or not it was a sign of something to come. Danny and the humans with him might have been friends, but she had a duty to her people as well.

With that being said, the four returned to the specter speeder and continued on their journey.

What they did not know was that a sixth entity was listening to their conversation, one that had been trapped far longer than she should have been. The dragoness within Dorathea's amulet, contrary to popular belief, was able to eavesdrop on any conversation that might take place near her proverbial cage and see the world around her through its gem. While her initial meeting of the boy that had brought her to the human world as a gift for some girl was still mixed at best, she now had a solid interest in him and his friends, one of which being the goth that had been unable to control her seething, impotent rage. A deep growl emanated from her throat as she closed her eyes, going over what had already been said. "It is good to know that another of my kind survived the purge, but who could it possibly be?" Memories of the atrocities she and the other dragon enslaved to these weaklings had committed against their kind ran through her mind. If she were to escape, she would be sure that these fools would pay for all they had done through her, even if it was not directly their fault.

For now, she would have to wait. She didn't know who exactly had made a rather surprising return, considering the fact that neither the halfa nor the humans had didn't feel the need to describe the dragon they had encountered, but it was unlikely that they would be strong enough on their own to help her and the other dragon to escape. Sure, they might be able to abscond with the amulets in question, but the magics that kept the two bound to them were powerful to say the least. Still, being stuck in her cage would have been better than being used for the gains of other. At the very least, it would make for a fitting punishment. "I suppose I could try to find a way to speak with the other dragon, but that will take time. Still, it would help if they knew as well."


	4. Chapter 4

**Masters' Manor; November 14, 4:30 P.M.**

To say that Vlad was displeased with the turn of events that had transpired over the past week would be an understatement. The fact that Valerie was now helping Danny Phantom, the ghost that had supposedly ruined her life, meant that she either had a change of heart when it came to ghosts, or simply found out about his other half. Neither was favorable for him, and the halfa mayor of Amity Park had to restrain himself from blasting the seventy inch plasma screen television set in his office, specifically the one in his own home, currently displaying the same news bulletin Danny and his friends had watched earlier that day from where he stood. The only difference was that this also included a rather shaky video of the fight the younger halfa and his friends had with a new ghost, even if it was only a few brief seconds. It always annoyed him how these sort of things played on a loop, but he figured that it wouldn't do him any good to miss such an important move in the game of chess that was his life.

"I suppose I should've expected something like this to happen. With how often she hunts the boy, she was bound to discover his secret." He thought to himself, mulling over how he could recover from this. The worst part was that Danny might have already told her Vlad's own secret. If it wasn't for the fact that he had essentially cut off any and all means of influencing the direction in which his own companies moved on the day of his inauguration, then he would've fired Valerie's father for a successful burglary conducted by his ghost half that would've theoretically cost him hundreds of thousands in terms of expenses. Now that he was mayor, doing such a thing would simply draw too much attention to him, but he wouldn't hesitate to find some other means of retribution if the two did anything drastic, assuming that the girl knew of course. For now, it probably would be best if he kept a safe distance.

"It appears that the three of us are in a standoff, Daniel. The only question is, who will fire first?" As for the new ghost, he would most likely have one of his contacts within the Infinite Realms deal with, or at least observe it. Now, it was only a matter of who to pick for such a task. The birds were too slow and weak to keep up with it, let alone fight the thing, the Fright Knight was lacking in the art of stealth, and Skulker would probably find some way to fail the task no matter what. Either way, it was not something that could be left unattended.

On the other hand, if the beast could be turned to his side,however difficult that may be, then he would have one more pawn at his disposal. The thought in of itself brought a smile to his face. A slight series of vibrations brought the man's attention to his phone, and the first thing he noticed was that there was no caller ID, forcing a neutral look on his face, and against his better judgement, Vlad accepted the call while muting the program he was watching. If it was some worthless telemarketer, he could always hang up. "Vladimir Masters here. What do you want?"

"If not you, then who else?" The caller asked, her voice being distinctly female. She didn't laugh, but it could be heard in her tone. "How's the mayoral life treating you?"

It didn't take long for Vlad to recognize the voice of the caller, one Vermillion Petite. He had invested a considerable amount of money into her chain of fashion stores after he had amassed his own, and the returns were well worth the effort. Of course, he was aware that it was one of the few times he hadn't used his ghost powers during a business deal, along with the fact that it had made someone else'a life better. He didn't really pay any mind to either of those small details, however. If anything, it simply painted him as a generous man spreading his already vast wealth, not that anyone knew of his other half. The most peculiar detail was that she hadn't really maintained contact with him ever since they had completed the deal.

Pushing past the fact that this was a rather unexpected phone call, the mayor of Amity Park set up plan on how to go about this coversation in almost an instant. "Ah, Ms. Petite. It's good to hear from you. I apologize for my earlier hostilities, but as mayor of a town like Amity Park, I tend to receive a few... unwanted callers, and your ID came up as an unknown." His tone was much more relaxed when compared to when he had first answered the phone, as he had adjusted to the situation with relative ease. "Anyway, I'm still as lonely as when we first met, but otherwise things are fine. How's your business coming along?"

"Hmmm. I got a new phone, so that may have something to do with it." It was a lie, but one that was well hidden through her honeyed words. "As for the business, it's going well. We get some slow days here and there, but we're still in the green. I was actually thinking about taking some time off and paying a visit to that small town you run. There are bound to be a few good locations for one of my stores."

The mayor narrowed his eyes, but decided to continue on with the conversation. "Ok, but why would you need to call me for such a mundane thing? I doubt you would do this for any other investors, and it's not like I can have a major impact on your decision." Of course, he could already guess of a few reasons, but he figured it would be best to simply act casual.

"Ah, yes. Impartiality when it comes to the private sector and all that. Don't worry, I already decided that I would set up shop in Amity Park, assuming I am able to of course." It was hard to tell if she had ignored his question, but she simoly pushed forwad with the prior subject of thier discussion. "I just wanted to know if there were any open lots, so I didn't waste my time when it came to looking for a new business prospect."

Vlad gave a slight nod, not that the other participant in the conversation could see it. He then turned his attention back to the television, trying to gather any more information on the halfa and huntress. "If that is all, I'm sure you could find something. It was nice speaking with you."

Before the adult halfa could end the call, Vermillion decided to cut him off. "Actually, I also wanted to give you a bit of advice. I know you can be stubborn at times, so I figured I might as well knock an idea or two into your head while I can."

Vlad raised a brow out of curiousity. What could Vermillion possibly have in mind when it came to advice for him. Of course, he did feel a bit insulted the moment he was descrobed as stubborn, but he decided to push that to the side for now. "Ok, I'll bite. What did you have in mind?"

"To be honest, I wouldn't be doing this if the situation were different, and feel free to stop me at any time." After a brief pause to catch her breath, the woman said two words that would have an undeniable impact on the halfa. "Try adoption."

If Vlad had been drinking any beverage, he most certainly would've choked on it from the sharp intake of breath as a result of that rather unexpected answer. For now, he would simply stand there with his jaw agape as he tried to process what had just been said. When the halfa recovered from the shock, he sat in his desk chair and simply relaxed, rubbed his brow in an attempt to nurse a forming headache. "I'm sorry, but there must have been some problem with the connection. Did you just suggest that I adopt a child?"

Vermillion might've been holding back a giggle, but it was hard to tell with someone like her. "That is exactly what I suggested. Of course, it doesn't have to be a young child. It could be a teenager. That might actually be preferable for someone like you, so long as you aren't the only human living in that mansion of yours." She said.

"I…" The fourty something man then paused, actually taking the time to think about what could come about by adopting a child. He would finally have the makings of something he had always wanted that had been ripped away from him by a man that he had once considered a friend: a family of his own to love and care for. The child may not be a halfa like himself or Danny, but it was something that he could still work with, assuming that everything went accordingly and a stable relationship was formed between himself and the possible son or daughter. Heck, why should he stop at one. He could probably bring in two or three and still have time for his duties as mayor. That certainly made the smile that was anything but smug return to his lips and caused a warm feeling that had long since been lost to blossom in his chest.

His thoughts then turned to Maddie, the woman he had set his eyes on and had fallen in love with, only to have her fall for the same man that he had blamed for the accident that had given him his powers. What would she think about him doing such a thing? Could this help him rekindle the relationship he had wanted? No, he wouldn't take it that far. That much was certain. After a few seconds, his mind returned to the conversation at hand, thankful that Vermillion had been patient with him. "I'll give it some thought. Thank you for the advice." The tone of his voice was low, like a man accepting some predetermined fate.

"Don't mention it. I'll be sure to pay you a visit whenever I have the time." With that, Vermillion ended the call, leaving Vlad with nothing but silence and the chaos that was swirling in his own mind.

The halfa sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket and looked out the window of his office. The city of Amity Park could be seen in the distance, and the television was still playing in the background, even if it was still muted. Things had taken an unexpected turn, and the aftermath of such an event was very much an unknown.

* * *

 **Grey Residence; 4:45 P.M.**

Valerie was never one to keep secrets from her father. The only thing she had ever withheld from him was the fact that she hunted ghosts, and he didn't exactly take it well when Phan- Danny had forcibly removed her mask from her previous hunting outfit during Pariah Dark's invasion. She had been grounded for weeks ever since then. The huntress knew that her father was only doing what he thought was necessary to protect one of the few things he cared about, but it wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself. That's what all the martial arts classes were for, and she could easily handle a gun as long as her arm, even if if it was only meant to hurt ghosts. As memories of her youth ran through her mind, a slight smile played across her lips "Things just keep on changing." She thought as she ate two microwave dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with her dad. At the very least, teamng up with Danny was the first good choice she had made in a long time, and she wasn't going to regret that any time soon.

Of course, things never tend to go the way anyone would expect them to. The media was practically having a marathon of ghost related stories, and at the center was both Danny and herself. It was only a matter or time before her dad confronted her about it. "I saw the news today. Should I be worried that you're working with the ghost that you seemed so obsessed with ending ever since you started all of this?"

And, there it was. Damon Grey had finally decided to question her about her involvement with Danny, and considering the fact that he knew of her hatred for most ghosts, this was going to be somewhat awkward. At least, that's what she thought. Thin walls and a small living space meant that he couldn't exactly volcalize whatever frustration he was feeling towards her, so that made it even harder to gauge his emotions. Considering the fact that she couldn't lie to her own father at this point, Valerie figured it'd be best to simply do a bit of damage control. "No. I'm not exactly being forced to do anything I don't want to."

Damon simply gave a slight nod as he ate a bit more of his meal, having twirled a few strings of pasta around his fork prior to that. "I figured as much. He never was the kind of ghost to use others for his own gain, barring a few... questionable instances. I was merely curious as to what might have brought about this change."

Thankfully, this was a question she could answer with relative ease. "It technically started during my last job for the my previous employer." Valerie had never told her father that she had been working with Vlad, and that was something she wanted to be kept as a secret. The last thing either of them needed was a deranged halfa gunning for their heads. "I was hunting a ghost that looked a lot like Phantom, and she had the ability to turn into a human. I checked for a pulse just to make sure, but I was too blind by my need for revenge that I made a very bad choice. Phantom helped me fix it, and I let him go, even if I had the perfect opportunity to end him." As she spoke, a pit of what could only be described as guilt formed in her chest. She wasn't sure if she could tell her father Danny's secret, though it wasn't like she had bothered to ask.

"I see. That is certainly a revelation." A smile then formed on her father's lips as he seemed to relax. "It's good to see that you're finally moving forward."

That seemed to catch the huntress off guard, and after a few seconds, she recovered enough to remmeber how to breathe. "Wait, that's it? I thought you would've been furious that I was working with the ghost that cost you your first job as a security guard."

Damon simply gave a light nod, before looking off towards a picture of himself, Valerie, and his wife. The latter of the three had died from cancer a little under a decade ago, leaving him to raise their daughter alone. Like any father, he had practically spoiled her, but that didn't mean he was afraid for her at times. Now that she was working with someone far more experienced in the field of ghost hunting, he could rest a bit easier now that she would have someone watching her back. "I may not fully approve when it comes to your choice of work, but the situation that led up to it has certainly changed you for the better in some ways."

Valerie gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah. I wasn't exactly the best person back then." After all, she had been swept up in the A-list crowd and treated anyone else like dirt. It was only when her dad lost his job that she was able to see what most of them were really like. Star was the only friend she had from that group, and that probably wouldn't last long if she found out about the hunter's career and new allies. She doubted Sam and Tucker would just call her a friend that easily, so she wasn't going to delude herself by doing the same.

Her father gave a simple nod and put a hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't exactly 'father of the year' either, but that is what makes us human. We learn from our mistakes and grow off of those experiences." After he finished the last few bites of pasta, the older male began to clean the area and decided to add one last comment to their conversation. "Oh, and don't worry about keeping Danny's secret. It's not that hard to find out when you think about it, but I don't think many people realize the possibility of a human boy being half ghost."

The man was smart, if anything. He had seen the similarities in appearance between Phantom and Fenton, and while it may have been easy to assume that the former of the two was a dead relative, it didn't make sense when he was compared to other ghosts. The behaviors didn't line up, so that meant that there might be some semblance of humanity within the ghost. That, and the fact that Phantom used technology used by the Fentons, despite all of the safeguards they'd probably have on such an arsenal to ensure that no ghost could get to them, was too much of a coincidence. All of these factors led to him thinking that Danny might be Phantom, but he wasn't sure until Valerie had told him about her encounter with Danielle. The possibility of human ghost hybrids further confirmed his hypothesis, but he wasn't about to open that can of worms. Doing such a thing would more than likely ruin any semblance of a normal life Danny Fenton had, and he wasn't about to be held responsible for that.

Valerie paused slightly, before smiling. "Thanks, daddy. I really needed this talk." The teenager then looked down to see a full plate of her dinner looking back at her and realized that she had yet to eat anything.

"So did I, princess. Just be sure to not let this affect your school work that much." The man then walked into his bedroom and sighed as he picked up a ornately framed picture of his wife, one that had been taken when they had visited Niagara Falls shortly after Valerie had been born. He didn't wipe the tears that had welled up in his eyes until they began to fall onto the glass cover. "I know you would've been proud of her, Dorsey. She's a fighter, just like you." It may not have been what he wanted, but she would've encouraged Valerie to do whatever their daughter wanted. Maybe it was time for him to do the same.

* * *

 **Ghost Zone**

After leaving Dorthea's kingdom, the group of four teenagers moved in silence as they thought over what had just been revealed to them. How were they even supposed to react to something like this? Was it possible for them to still be allies to Dora now that they knew that her family had essentially enslaved two ghosts to their will? It was all rather confusing, and the silence would've persisted had it not been for Danny's sister.

"From what I could tell, it sounded like there was a bit of a blood feud going on in all of that mess after the dragons were united, and I don't think it ever got resolved." Of course, it wasn't exactly instigated by the dragons themselves, but she didn't think the ghosts at the time would really care. All they wanted was to see a powerful enemy crumble into the annals of history. Given the time period Dora's kingdom was trapped in, it would make sense that something like that would still carry on.

This caught that attention of the other members of the group, and while they didn't exactly know what a blood feud was, it wasn't hard to guess based off the name. "That still doesn't make what they did to those dragons right. They should've freed them after the foghting was over."

"Considering the fact that their species was wiped out, I don't think they'd be very happy about it. Besides, maybe they couldn't." It was a wild guess on Tucker's part, but it was still a possibility nonetheless. "What if those dragons die immediately after being freed, or maybe the process was lost to time. I doubt Dora would willingly do something like that if she could help it. Unlike her brother, she's a bit bit more progressive when it comes to that sort of thing."

Sam sighed and simply nodded. If it weren't for her brother and his lust for power, then Dora wouldn't exactly have a reason to use her amulet in the first place. "Right, I almost forgot about the deranged royal that wanted me to be his bride." The goth then felt a chill run down her spine at the thought and leaned back into her seat. "I guess I should've thought about that a bit more."

Danny simply moved to look back at his friends as he flew and shrugged. "It's ok, Sam. We know how you can be when it comes to that sort of thing. You have gotten better about that sort of thing, though." A gentle smile then graced the halfa's lips, one that the goth happily returned. "So, I take it we'll still play nice with our allies? I mean, it's not like they had any actual control over what their ancestors did."

The three humans nodded slightly, and Jazz continued the conversation from there. At the very least, she felt that a change in subject was needed. "So, what are the five of us going to do if this Draco Ignis returns? I doubt that he'll just take the fact that he's one of the last of his kind lightly." The others had obviously told her about Valerie's change of heart, so she figured that it would be best to include her in on the headcount for Team Phantom as well. Granted, she was also aware of her rather hostile relationship towards Danny prior to that moment, but she could deal with that eventually.

Her brother was the first to respond, already having thought of an idea. "Feel free to chip in, but maybe it would be best if we took a more diplomatic approach to him. All of what happened to him stemmed from one misunderstanding, so fixing that would probably help keep any or all of our old alliances intact. Heck, we might have one more ghost to count on if we need the help if things go well."

"Right, and he'd theoretically be the one to decide what happens to the amulets. I suppose that would be for the best." It wasn't exactly ideal to Sam, but it would work for the long term at the very least. Of course, they would probably jump in and help their allies if things got too out of control.

Danny simply nodded and sighed as muscles he didn't even know were tense relaxed. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it would be seeing his friends argue, and he was almost certain that Sam and Tucker wouldn't have as healthy of a relationship if it weren't for him. Before he could say anything else, the halfa notice a familiar clocktower in the distance and sighed. Knowing the time ghost, he was probably expecting them.

"So, I sort of forgot to ask this about Princess Dorathea, but what is Clockwork like?"

The trio looked towards each other before returning their attention to Jazz. In all honesty, two of them had only dealt with Clockwork once, and that was on less than ideal circumstances. As for Danny, he had a decent relationship with the ghost in question, so he was probably the best one to answer that question. "He can be a bit cryptic at times, but he means well overall. Seeing all the different ways time can branch out sort of does that to a guy, I suppose." The ghost of time was also a bit of a father figure to the young halfa, but he figured that would best be left unsaid for now.

With that out of the way, Danny landed at the base of the clocktower, and the Specter Speeder followed soon after. Before the four could reach the door, though, they opened automatically as the blue skinned time ghost himself floated out in the form of a young adult. "Ah, Fenton and friends. Apologies for the preemptive greeting, but I was just speaking with an old friend of mine and was not expecting you for at least another few minutes. Please, do come in."

"Huh, I didn't think anyone knew where you were." Danny's tone was rather skeptical at best, but he and the present members of Team Phantom still followed after Clockwork as he drifted into his home. "Anyone we need to know about?"

"A few of the older beings within this world know where I am, so they do visit from time to time. Of course, some are more welcome than others, but what can you do?" As he spoke, his form shifted into that of an old man, one that had lived long past his prime. "Still, I think you would like my last guest should the two of you meet. She can be a bit different from how people percieve her, though."

"Wait, you have a girlfri-." Whatever Tucker was about to say was cut off by Sam's elbow impacting his chest. While harsh, the last thing they wanted was to assume anything about the time ghost or embarass themselves.

"Sorry about Tucker. He has an overactive imagination sometimes."

Clockwork, however, simply gave an amused chuckle as he shifted into his youngest form. "Now that, Tucker, would be something. Unfortunately, no. She is merely a friend at the moment, though I am sure that there are probably rumors of such a thing somewhere. I do believe that you wanted to speak to me about something, however."

Danny quickly nodded and figured it would be best to move on. "Right, though I suppose you already know about what happened earlier this week?"

"But of course, my boy. I am the master of time, after all. You went to go see Dorathea about the dragon, and now you come to me in order to learn whether or not you have a new power." By this point, the five had entered the main room of the clocktower and multiple windows to alternate timelines could be seen on the stone wall. For now, they remained blank, hiding whatever the trio was not meant to see. On a far off shelf, a rusting Fenton thermos could also be seen, though wheather or not it contained anything was unknown to the humans. The only ones present that knew the truth were Danny and Clockwork.

Danny simply nodded as Tucker continued the conversation. "Yeah. We figured it was either that or he busted a pipe with ice. Considering that we've only fought ghosts with one elemental affinity at most, we weren't entirely sure of what was going on."

Clockwork nodded as he raised a hand. Multiple windows then flickered to life, each showing an alternate timeline. The most common theme was that Danny seemed to be using fire instead of water in his fighting style. "It isn't exactly rare for ghosts to evolve new abilities as time passes, or through some traumatic event, but I can't say that I have ever seen a version where our young halfa gains the ability of hydrokinesis in his current state of being. Sure, there are times where he can do such a thing, but he isn't exactly a ghost."

The four teens were rather surprised by that revelation, but they figured it would be best to stay on track for the time being. "So, I don't have hydrokinesis?" It wouldn't do them well to have come all of this way for nothing, but at least it was something that they wouldn't have to worry about explaining to the elder Fentons. Danny then glanced between each of the screens, each one showing a version of him that might have come to be should the dice have rolled differently.

Clockwork's form shifted once more, this time reverting back to a young adult, and he shook his head. "I never said that, did I? You could very well be able to control water, but I will unfortunately not be able to help you master such a thing. I do, however, have another friend that will be able to help you. She migth not be the most outgoing of beings, but she will help if you show potential." A portal then opened up in one of the viewing screens to the left of Clockwork, and the various sounds one might associate with a beach poured through.

Danny raised a brow at the sight of the opening and looked at Clockwork. "Well, this is rather unexpected, though are you sure that this is the best option."

"Things are coming that threaten both of our worlds, my boy. You will need all the help you can get if there is any hope of saving them, and if there was a better way, I would show it to you.". A frown marred his face as Clockwork shifted into an elderly man once more. "If it is any consolation, your friends may go with you."

The halfa gave a light sigh as he clenched his hands into fists. Thoughts rushed through his head at what was being asked of him. He didn't know how long they would be gone, but he figured Clockwork would simply return them to this point in time if it was long enough to alarm his family. That much was certain.

Danny then felt a sudden warmth on his shoulders and back, before turning to see his friends and sister all giving him a smile. Sam was the first to speak, her tone calm and measured. It reminded him about when he had flown off to fight Pariah Dark, thinking that he might actually die permanently. "It'll be ok, Danny. Whatever comes our way, we'll help you no matter what."

"Yeah, we aren't Team Phantom for nothing." A smile then split Tucker's face as he looked towards the portal. "Besides, I could use a beach vacation."

"You've always been a hero, little brother, and the sacrifices you've made cannot be measured by anyone. There's no point in stopping now." Jazz then brought Danny into a hug, and Sam and Tucker joined in.

A dull thrum could also be felt in his core, as if his very body was trying to comfort and push him forward past whatever doubts he might have felt about this. The halfa could stop a few tears from forming in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away before anyone could see them, even Clockwork. "What would I do without you guys."

"Let's not answer that. Now, I believe you have a new teacher to meet." The time ghost himself was smiling at how close each member of Team Phantom was, and he was almost tempted to join their little hug. Granted, he probably would've had to take on a much smaller form in order to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness.

Danny turned to face the time ghost once more and nodded. With that, the four walked through the portal. The sounds of screaming teens and the subsiquent splashing of water could be heard shortly after before the opening was sealed. Now that he thought about it, telling them that their bodies might change to suit their destination probably would have been a good idea. Oh well, it was too late for that now.

"Ugh, it's about time those idiots left. I thought I was going to puke from all the sap that was leaking out."

Clockwork simply glanced back at the thermos and shook his head. He was expecting its occupant to be a bit more vocal towards Danny and his friends, but was also thankful for his silence. "Glad to see you're still there. I was beginning to think that you might have passed on."

"We both know that isn't going to happen any time soon. Still, you really know how to be dramatic when the need arises, Clockwork."

"I wasn't. You should really try to get out more." The ghost then went back to watching the current time line

"We both know what'll happen when I get out of here, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

"Oh, I suppose we do. After all, everything is as it should be." A light smile then spread across Clockwork's lips as one screen shifted to show one of the many twenty four year old versions of Danny Phantom protecting his hometown like he had done so many times before. The only difference was that this would probably be his last time doing such a thing.

 **I was honestly going to have Jazz stay behind for something else, but I figured that what I had in mind could wait for now.**


End file.
